Elmer Fisher opened his architecture studio in Seattle in 1887. His practice lasted until 1891, when he left the business to become proprietor of the Abbott Hotel. He is the architect most closely associated with rebuilding the city's commercial core after the June 6, 1889 fire. Completed in 1892, the exterior walls of the Pioneer Building are constructed of Bellingham Bay gray sandstone at the ground floor and red brick at the upper floors. Although typical of the type of buildings constructed right after the Fire of 1889, it stands out in the variety of its terra-cotta and cast iron detailing and the richness of its interior.